Hosiery



Oct. 11, 1938.

e. BRILL HOSIERY Filed July 13, 1938 attorney Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOSIERY George L. Brill, New York, N. Y. Application July 13, 1938, Serial No. 218,381

3 Claims.

This invention relates to hosiery and more particularly to hosiery which is designed to improve the fit, comfort, and wearing qualities thereof.

One object of the invention is to provide a stocking having a toe portion which can stretch both longitudinally and laterally on the wearers foot in response to the movements of the foot when the wearer is walking whereby to reduce Wear on said toe portion and to provide added comfort to the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stocking with a portion of the toe thereof knit from elastic yarn in integral relation with other parts of the foot of the stocking with the wales of the knit elastic yarn extending in the same direction as the wales of the knit textile yarn wherebysaid knit elastic toe portion can stretch and contract in a direction longitudinally of the wales thereof, that is, in a direction longitudinally of the foot of the stocking as well as in a transverse direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stocking having an elastic toe portion which may be formed in the stocking in the process of knitting the stocking substantially completely on the knitting machine, without cutting or stitching operations other than the finishing loopingoperation utilized generally in the manufacture of certain types of stockings which are knit on circular knitting machines.

A further object of the invention is generally to provide a stocking having an elastic toe portion so constructed and arranged in the stocking that the production of .the lattermay be facilitated.

The above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will be fully understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a stocking, here shown as a sock, embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view on a larger scale of the toe portion of the stocking;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the front portion of the stocking in the stage of manufacture thereof just prior to the looping operation.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the stocking I0, here shown as a sock, comprises in integrally knit relation the usual ribbed top l2, the leg, and the foot section I6 including the heel and toe, l8 and 20 respectively. The stock- .is looped to the rear upper toe portion at the ing I0 is formed on a circular knitting machine being preferably fiat knit throughout except in the ribbed top l2. Except as hereinafter stated, the stocking may be knit from any textile or inelastic yarn, such as silk, rayon, cotton, wool, 5 etc;., or mixtures thereof.

In accordance with the present invention there is knit into the toe of the stocking 'an' elastic section 22, knit from elastic yarn, for accomplishing the objects of the invention. Said elastic toe section 22 extends from the tip line 24 of the stocking to a line 26 at its rear edge where it is knit with a few courses of ordinary textile yarn providing an intermediate section 28 which line of juncture 32 on a looping machine in accordance with the usual practice. Said elastic section 22 extends laterally along the goring lines 34. In other words, said elastic section 22 extends from the tip of the toe of the stocking rearwardly down the goring lines 34 to within a few courses of the looper line 32. Said section 22 is thus positioned in the stocking so that when the latter is worn said elastic section is engaged by the toes of the wearer, extending over and engaged by the toe nails.

, Elastic section 22 is preferably knit from textile covered elastic rubber threads such as the elastic yarn known as Lastex. Fine Lastex yarn, that is, yarn or low gauge and of a degree of fineness approximating that of the textile yarn of the other toe portion of the stocking is preferred. Said yarn is introduced into the stocking during the process of knitting the same on a circular knitting machine by providing an extra 35 yarn feeding finger in the circular knitting machine. It will be understood that inthe process of of manufacture of the stocking, the first course of said elastic section being knit into the end course of textile yarn at the tip line 24, and the knitting of said elastic section being thereafter continue-d along the lines of goring 34 to the line 5 26 which defines the rear edge of said elastic section. When the last course of said elastic section has been knit, the knitting of the textile yarn is resumed with a course-of knitting joined tothe end course of said elastic section, a few courses of textile yarn being knit forming an edge portion 28 which is subsequently looped, on a looping machine, with the rear edge portion 30 of the toe of the stocking for finishing the same.

Thus it is seen that the stocking herein shown and described is well adapted to accomplish the thicker than ordinary textile knit yarn, it posscsses substantial strength and resistance to wear. Such resistance towear isincreasedby reason of the capacity of said section to stretch longitudinally as well as transversely to accommodate the stocking to changes in the eifective length of the wearersfoot and to the movements of the wearers foot during walking. Also, said elastic section stretches transversely," as stated, as well as in other directions; and thus accommodates itself to the spreading of the ,wearers foot which also occurs during walking. Moreover, the fit of the stocking is considerably improved by the provision of said elastic section, for the reasons hereinbefore stated in reference to the wearing qualities of the stocking. The comfort of the stocking on the 'wearersLfoot is accordingly improved, an added reason forimproved comfort residing inthe fact that the stocking size may be more accurately determined, as excess length in the stocking with consequent wrinkling or folding of portions thereof is'eliminated.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that certain changes in the construction and arrangement of partsof the stocking and in the materials utilized in the diflerent; portions thereof may be made. For example, while covered rubber yarn is greatly to be preferred, uncovered rubber yarn or other elastic yarn capable of being knit into the stocking may be utilized.

' leg length.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by letters patent is:

1. A stocking comprising knit leg and foot portions, said foot portion having a knit toe comprising a top section of knit elastic yarn with the wales thereof extending longitudinally of the toe, said toe having side gore lines and a rear looping line, said top section of knit elastic yarn terminating at the gore lines of the toe and at the tip of the latter and terminating substantially at the looping line. I

2. A stocking comprising knit leg and foot portions, said foot portion having a knit toe comprising a top section of knit elastic yarn with the wales thereof extending longitudinally of the toe, said toe having sidegore lines and a rear looping line, said top section of knit elastic yarn terminating at the gore lines of the toe and at the tip of the latter and terminating substantially at the looping line, and a section of knit inelastic yarn between said section of knit elastic yarn and said looping line.

3. A stocking comprising knit leg and foot portions, said foot portion having a knit toe comprising a top section of knit elastic yarn with the wales thereof extending longitudinally of the toe, said toe having side gore lines and a rear looping line, said top section of knit elastic yarn terminating at the gore lines of the toe and at the tip of the latter and terminating substantially at the looping line, the remainder of said foot portion being knit substantially entirely of inelastic yarn.

GEORGE L. BRILL. 

